The L.A. Times music blog

Watch as Taylor Swift's bus takes over Hollywood for a Thanksgiving special

November 1, 2010 | 2:23
pm

Perhaps the bus simply got lost on its way to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Or perhaps Team Taylor Swift wanted to celebrate a soon-to-be No. 1 album by splitting a Mickey's Masterpiece, a $30, eight-scoop sundae from Disney's Soda Fountain.

Nevertheless, NBC cameras were rolling as a Swift-branded Starline double-decker parked in front of the El Capitan on late Friday afternoon. After tweeting earlier in the day that she would have an impromptu Los Angeles performance, Swift, her fans and a camera crew brought traffic to a halt near rush hour at the pivotal intersection of Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard.

To the delight, no doubt, of her faithful, Swift performed "Long Live," a misfits-conquer-the world-type singalong ballad. It's the rare Swift song that contains the word "dragons," which helps endear it to this particular writer, and it captures the more grown-up flavor of her recently released "Speak Now." Those, however, who were trying to make their way to the 101 on a Friday night might have wished that she had picked a song that was not five-plus minutes.

The surprise performance wasn't exactly an improvised affair, although it was foisted upon commuters with little warning. Swift was in Hollywood to tape a song for an upcoming NBC special that will air on Thanksgiving evening. "I can't wait to see your beautiful faces on TV on Thanksgiving on the NBC special we just shot," Swift told the crowd from the bus. "I adore you so much. This has been one of the coolest weeks of my life."

Swift's holiday program promises to bring "fans on a whirlwind trip from New York City to Los Angeles with multiple one-of-a-kind performances, including a concert 30,000 feet in the air" on a plane, according to an earlier press release. No doubt NBC's cameras didn't catch the faces of those stuck in their cars on Highland.

For now, you can watch the performance above, although Pop & Hiss has a sneaking suspicion that the clip will soon by stricken from YouTube.